How Christian Horner's feud with Jos Verstappen played role in Red Bull exit
A former Formula 1 chief believes it is clear that Christian Horner's strained relationship with Max Verstappen's father Jos was a factor in his shock exit from Red Bull this week. After two decades at the helm, during which he led the team to 14 titles, Horner's time as Red Bull's team principal came to an abrupt end on Wednesday.
Red Bull GmbH, the parent company, announced his immediate release without providing a reason for the decision. Horner still has a contract with Red Bull Racing but has been placed on gardening leave and is likely to leave the company for good when that period ends.
Horner's departure follows allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' from a female staff member, which emerged in early 2024. The 51-year-old always denied the claim and was cleared on two occasions by separate independent KCs hired by Red Bull to investigate the matter.
Yet, in March last year, Jos Verstappen predicted that Red Bull would "explode" if Horner wasn't removed. And he has continued to speak up publicly against the Brit, fuelling speculation that his exit is a result of manoeuvring by the Verstappen camp.
Guenther Steiner, former team principal at Haas, who also used to work under Horner at Red Bull, told talkSPORT: "There was open criticism, it was not hearsay. Jos openly critiqued the management of Red Bull, mainly Christian, so we were all fully aware that relationship wasn't good.
"Max is the best driver at the moment and has got a big say in the team, so if he didn't get on, or his father didn't get on with Christian, for sure, that played a role in it."
Verstappen, who is under contract until 2028 has caught the attention of Mercedes and the Dutchman has been reluctant to publicly commit to seeing out his tenure with Red Bull. He sits third in the drivers' championship, trailing Oscar Piastri by 69 points. There is a performance-related exit clause within his existing deal.
Steiner went on to point out the current performance situation at Red Bull has made Verstappen's position even stronger. He said: "It's difficult, because to have somebody like Max, you want to keep him, and you don't give this power in a day. A driver like this grabs his power, because he knows his value for the team.
"You can see at Red Bull, the second driver has scored very few points, they cannot do it. Max put himself in this position to have a lot of say in the team because he is the biggest asset they have got at the moment."
Horner has already been linked to future roles with other F1 teams, but Steiner does not believe his former colleague will be in a rush to return. He said: "He was there 20 years. I know how stressful it is to run a team and the last few years have been tough. He still gets paid, so he's enjoying his gardening leave. He will not be desperate for a next job."
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